nventive

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of La Diperie, an ice cream shop that specializes in dipping products in chocolate. We’re a novel, trendy place with tons of ice cream specialties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

To expand our digital marketing and loyalty program, we engaged Cortex to create an Android/iOS app that allowed users to create customized ice cream products online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, we worked closely with Cortex to go over our needs and functions. They asked a lot of questions to get a better understanding of our business and then proposed several design options. We worked together iteratively to make modifications until we arrived at the final design. They then built the app for iOS and Android, and we tested it to provide feedback.

With our solution, users could customize their ice cream order online, choosing from three base products (e.g., ice cream cone, cup, or sandwich) before selecting one of 20 chocolate dips and additional toppings. Once they finish their order, they can post their creations online and share it on social media. The app also features a loyalty program that rewards members with electronic stamps to redeem perks.

Cortex has since launched our app, and they’re now working to integrate in-app promotional opportunities. For example, to mitigate low sales during rainy days, we’re going to push deals to entice more in-store traffic.

What is the team composition?

They’ve assigned a single point of contact who leads our account, but I’m sure there are developers working in the background. We built the app with them, and they’re still making improvements.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

We had a few initial meetings to explain the project, and they provided us with some suggestions and proposed designs. From there, it just made sense that they were the right partner for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The original project lasted from November 2016–May 2017, but they’re still making ongoing adjustments.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Customers have responded well to our app, and we’ve seen a lot of participation from our client base. Our enrollment numbers are up for the loyalty program, and we’re looking to push more promotions in the app.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

During development, we mostly communicated through phone and email. I appreciated that they sent us design templates before committing to anything, which was more efficient than seeing a final app and making changes. This way, we were able to participate throughout to ensure that the end product aligned with our vision.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered exactly as they said they would. As a non-technical person, it’s hard to imagine an app that works exactly as I’ve envisioned, but Cortex pulled it off. They handled the project well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they met all our needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear, concise objective and understand how your technical solution plays into that. Apps and websites evolve over time, so you need to consider your future aspirations and choose a partner who can work with you as the product grows.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a senior marketing advisor for Logisco. We’re a real estate company that constructs and manages residential and commercial properties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cortex?

We’ve engaged Cortex to develop several custom software solutions, including a CMS platform, a sales management platform, an updated website, and a mobile application on iOS for maintenance teams.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted our website to have an innovative design and better meet our customers’ needs. Our two platforms reflected a shift toward digitizing our data, and we wanted to share information across their systems as well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We first hired Cortex to update our website. Their work impressed us so we engaged their team for other development projects to shift our organization into digital systems and solutions.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Cortex is involved in every step of development. When we contract them for a project, Cortex meets with our team—both field workers and in-office staff—to consult on requirements. They then create a design and make a schedule for the development phase. Once they have our approval, Cortex builds the platform. Over the years, they’ve become a development partner, and we’re now familiar with each other’s methods and processes.

What was the team composition?

We work with an architect, a programmer, a developer, and a few designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Every platform they’ve built has integrated seamlessly into our organization with few bugs or issues.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Cortex makes the collaboration seamless. We’ve developed a unified workflow to oversee every aspect of each project, from management and media to communication and billing. We utilize Slack and Jira and hold meetings to provide regular updates.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Cortex consistently comes up with innovative solutions to meet our challenges. They also can scale their resources as needed to accomplish our project goals.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

We sometimes have trouble communicating our needs from a non-technical perspective to their technical team and then getting the results we want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO at Vowsmith, a personalized jewelry company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We had built our website internally. It had problems with speed and memory that we needed to fix and also needed it updated to be mobile friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They rebuilt our website, integrating new technologies to enhance it. They also redesigned the layout and reconfigured the CSS to make it mobile friendly.

They used WebGL, a 3D model view technology, to allow users to visualize ring customizations by capturing the customer’s fingerprint. It integrates with software that we developed internally to do image treatment to suggest a ring with fingerprints engraved on the surface.

They also suggested that we use a framework called React that is used by companies like Pinterest and Facebook. It allows us to control the different options of our own software.

What is the team composition?

I worked with four different people including a dedicated project manager and developers. We worked with different people according to their expertise.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

One of the Cortex team members is a good friend of our CEO. We're both based in Quebec City.

They had the expertise in WebGL that we needed. They convinced us by showing us work from past customers.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000 CAD ($11,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the work in December last year and just finished last week.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They completely reached their goals in terms of quality. We’re definitely happy with the software integrations. Everything we asked for was achieved.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Slack to communicate which worked very well. I would also go to their office at times to meet with them. It was easy for me to reach any member of the team.

They provided us with their best resources depending on our needs. For example, for the memory issues, I spent two days working with their team member who had the expertise to resolve the problem.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like the fact that they let me learn with them. They weren’t trying to hide anything from me. They tried to transmit all their knowledge to me so that I could work on my side without them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes they approximated the price. For example, they would tell me it would take four days and it would only take one. It was a good thing in the end and I can understand that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how things will go. But it was difficult to know exactly what to expect in terms of cost and time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to understand your needs well. It was easy for me because we’re in the same city. I could sit and work with their team, which made the work more efficient.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a touring performance company. I oversee everything our customers have contact with online, including our apps and websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

Cortex specializes in expedited projects and "rescuing" the client, which was perfect for our short timeline. We hired them for a brand bible project. Essentially, we wanted to create an online space where our partners could learn more about our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cortex helped us develop a strategy for how to talk about our organization. For our advertising efforts, they located which assets, like logos and images, could best showcase our brand. The designs were more advanced than the ones we usually create internally, so they really pushed the frontend as far as KPIs and related elements.

They not only created deliverables efficiently, but also quickly incorporated changes based on our feedback. When we started the project, we hadn’t yet created all the necessary assets. The team built a comprehensive framework that was easy to tweak and incorporate detailed elements into later on. All the content fit perfectly.

What is the team composition?

François Girard, our assigned project manager, was very talented. Our frontend and backend developers had specialized expertise in their assigned roles, respectively, which saved us a lot of time.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

My boss has a contact who knows the owner. Their team came to our office to give a presentation showcasing their previous work. Since they've mostly worked with local clients in Quebec, our international brand presented a big opportunity.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000 Canadian dollars [$24,000 USD] on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between October and December 2017, with a short break in November when we couldn't provide enough assets. They were kind enough to pause the project, and restart it when we had enough information for them to move forward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

It's usually quite hard to work with an agency when you don't have the whole package for the project, but Cortex did a great job. The process was absolutely seamless, and their execution of the designs was pixel perfect. Our internal approval process is usually very difficult. Certain designs don’t translate well online, and our staff will question why the digital rendering doesn’t properly reflect their work. Cortex excelled at bringing our designs to life. Our CMO accepted the first draft, and we only had to make minor changes with our brand team. Overall, it was a great success for our company.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

We really appreciated that they kept their team small for this specific project. We used Slack to facilitate daily communication, and they were extremely reactive. I never waited more than five minutes for an answer, which was unprecedented in my experience within the agency world. Their invoicing system used a very effective tool that sent bills via email and provided a detailed view of the completed work. A streamlined workflow made it possible to achieve our challenging deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're a small, attentive, flexible, and efficient team. I thought it would be impossible to complete this project on time, so their success was amazing to me. They did almost a perfect job for us. When we work with other development agencies, it's really hard to fit within two- or three-week development sprints. Cortex did one week sprints for us, and would occasionally even deploy the website for us to review online before they ended.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have all your content and assets ready, Cortex will be able to deliver even faster than they did for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Athlek.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

In partnership with Cortex, we developed a road map and a lesson plan builder for a sports federation and club in Canada.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In 2015, we built an accessible, user-friendly prototype for presentation to future investors, after which our first partner decided to invest in the pilot version of the project. Cortex developed the MVP. After we launched the pilot and worked in the second version for a year, we ran the app for several months without any updates. It has worked very well. There are no problems with the app. Almost 2,000 people across Canada use it on a weekly basis.

The web app hosts videos and training courses through Zmail, and there's a link to embed the video in the database. The database isn't too complex. Coaches can create their own skills and drills and add them to the database. They can also build a lesson plan by gathering ideas from our repository of gymnastics exercises. From there, they can print the lesson plan or use it on a tablet or phone.

We want to work with Gymnastics Canada, so we're going to develop new features for the second version.

What was the team composition?

Five developers were involved in the project, including one project owner, one frontend developer, and two backend developers. They split the work between the team.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

The first time I heard about them was through a reference. I explained my vision and budget to a friend. He told me that I should engage Cortex for the project, because they had done something similar for another client in the past. I met with the CEO, and we began the project.

How much have you invested with them?

I've spent between $50,000—$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking in 2014, but didn't begin the project until May 2015. We finished our engagement with them in July 2017, and there have been no updates since then. We are going for a second phase in March. We will certainly work with them again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Within a year, we gained around 1,000 additional users. Our first partner was Gymnastique Québec, and we started working with Saskatchewan a couple of months ago because they were very excited to invest in the project. We’ve started working with other sports too. The prototype was built for gymnastics, but other sports are interested in using it, too, which is very exciting.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was great. I changed project managers only twice in the span of the two-year partnership, and the general director always made sure that the transfer had gone smoothly and that and I was still happy with the partnership. They were also very tight on deadlines and didn't go much over budget. They had in-house software to manage the project, but I'm not on that platform; they communicated with me only by email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They work very closely with us to ensure that I feel good about the process and the features that they develop. They're open to talking with us about money, business, and features, and they invest time in making sure that we are happy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their team is growing a lot, so they changed my backend developer twice or thrice within two years. I understand that it's not easy to manage a growing team, however, and it was still a good partnership even if the developers changed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready to pay the price. It's not cheap, but the results are great for the price you pay. I've worked with other businesses to develop websites and apps, and I've had many bad experiences. Go to them if you want to have a great project with no problems.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a digital strategist at an insurance group. I’m in charge of a small innovation lab, which works to improve the user experience with new technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We needed help with development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their first project dealt with OCR [Optical Character Recognition] technology. Their staff had the skills to explore that technology, which later evolved to a chatbot. Our big project with them was building a chatbot that could provide online auto insurance quotes. It’s still in the experimental stage.

We looked at a lot of available technology, but chose to customize the chatbot due to some security concerns. The guys from Cortex knew how solve the security and confidentiality issues. We also added text-to-speech and speech-to-text features. In the past, they also built a website for a contest.

What is the team composition?

We have had 6-7 full-stack programmers helping us over the last two years. At the project’s peak, we worked directly with four full-stack developers for 5-6 months. Direct access to programmers was one of the working terms we set with them. We explained which skills we needed, and they sent us developers with those skills. They were always a perfect fit for our projects. They built the chatbot alongside our in-house team. Their team was very helpful in building that part of the platform.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

They were referred by a friend. They understood the innovativeness of what we were trying to achieve and were very flexible on the contractual terms. For instance, they were willing to send some of their people to work in our offices. That boosted our confidence in them. In addition, their projects for previous clients were good.

How much have you invested with them?

More than $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We worked in two-week Agile sprints. They were very autonomous, professional, and always on time. I can’t remember a time they delivered tasks late.

The chatbot was implemented for our customers. We added some restrictions on the IT side. We began experimenting with mobile traffic, so every user that visits the website with a mobile device lands on the chatbot. There have been a few thousand users.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very flexible with our working terms, which helped us greatly and contributed to our success. It was very easy to get them on board with the team and with the methodology.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very responsive to our requests and very quick to accommodate any addendum we give to them. Over the last two years, we’ve demanded a lot from them on short notice, but they came through every time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, working with them was pretty seamless.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Saga, a design studio that creates immersive and interactive experiences for the physical world. We used to be a production company, but then started using technology (e.g., IoT and AI [artificial intelligence]) for interactive storytelling.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We used to work with a high-priced company whose voice recognition technology only functioned at 80%. We needed to detect words or context in real time, and we were having to pay for each request to the server that was happening every two seconds. We were billed for each of those requests, so it ended up being very expensive.

That voice recognition technology wasn’t fitting for our business model, so we decided to develop our own for an experimental storytelling experience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were creating an experimental storytelling experiment that incorporated voice recognition software and natural language processing to detect children's positions within stories as they read aloud. The voice recognition software triggered various storytelling features within the app, including videos, sound effects, and music.

We did some pretty amazing sales with two customers which resulted in thousands of other sales for that book and allowed us to invest in the technology’s R&D. Cortex’s team was key in this process. We developed our own system where servers could scale on demand. It’s a combination of six different types of technology that run in real time. These include DSP [digital sound processing] for audio signals to make them easier to understand, as well as voice recognition training so that our natural language processing system can improve as it’s being used.

Cortex built the app on the Unity platform for the iPad as well as the AI [artificial intelligence] that facilitates better understanding of sentence structures based on story progression. They did an excellent job of integrating these key components.  

We did a physical installation version of that technology with another story for a marketing campaign. The installation was in a park where people could go, discover a book, and read it out loud. Their voice was amplified throughout the park, so people ended up gathering around, and adults were reading books to other adults. We used the same technology, but instead of a cloud-based system, we did a local version of that project.

We’ve also used Cortex for some development tasks when we haven’t had the resources in-house. It’s a platform called ioTHEATRE which we’ve been working on for a few years. It uses sensors and controllers to understand the behaviors and context of users in real time, and then triggers content which is projected onto walls accompanied by sounds or lighting effects. It’s a big framework that we’ve been using for exhibits and projects. We’re still working on it.

We’ve done some IoT projects with them as well, including electronics for prototyping.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

I’m friends with some of their team members. They are a nice and small development studio in Quebec City. They are the company we think of when we have a project that requires extra resources or special skills. We’ve been really satisfied with the work they’ve done for us.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in 2014, and the last project wrapped up in July 2016. We still use them when we need some additional resources.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I could speak to the studio head if I had a problem, and they always fixed it right away. They really focus on keeping their customer happy and the projects working.

We had a project where I know they lost money because we underestimated the complexity of it in the beginning. We never had a discussion about how much more it would cost, and they just delivered the project anyways. They have a really positive attitude in those types of situations, which I really appreciate as a customer.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. We had no issues with communication. We used tools like Basecamp to manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked that they weren’t a huge company with hundreds of people. They were a partner in the process of building the project. I was happy to work with and pay them because I knew the value we were receiving in return.

They’re really good with web development and all the attached components, including the cloud. As a design studio, they have some employees with different skill sets for various types of projects. They can work on a web project on the first day and then switch to another project on the second day. They’re pretty versatile.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything specific for them to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest going ahead and working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Bain Ultra. We’ve been working with a distribution network for almost 40 years in the states. We have about 2,000 dealers working with us. We manufacture high end bathtubs, freestanding bathtubs, and mainly therapeutic bathtubs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We had huge challenges over the last two years because we’re working with so many people at the same time. There’s a huge change in the way people are approaching sales because of the Internet. We’re in a very outdated network. The root of our network is plumbing. We had to try to bring that network to another standard. I needed an application developed for iPads in showrooms to help differentiate our product.

We also needed the salesforce on the showroom floor to be trained. Whenever we launched a product, we had reps that would train salespeople. It would sometimes take three months before they would get the proper training to everyone. There was always a gap between the time that we would launch and promote on the marketing level. I needed Cortex to develop an app training game that was user-friendly and could be used on any type of device.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We carry very high-end bathtubs. Our bathtubs can’t be bought at all places. They’re worth between $5,000-$10,000. The consumer must understand the added value of our product. The app is a tool for the consumer to understand us better and show us better in the showroom.

The second project was the training game app. The app would allow the sales people to quickly understand the differentiation of our product that we are launching and be able to talk about it to the consumer.

I’m starting to work with them on a platform for e-commerce because we want to start selling our bathtubs online. It’s a huge project because of the network we work with. We have to be very creative to not jeopardize the relations that we have with the dealers all over the states. I hope that the platform will be up and running by the spring.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

They work in a hub in Quebec where I live. I was working with a marketing company that was located next door. The owner of the marketing company talked about Cortex and I was introduced to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $200,000 for the iPad and the training game apps.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together three years ago for the iPad app. The training game app was started in January 2016 and completed in October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We have close to 1,000 sales people across the states that have downloaded the training game app. Of that, I have about 35% using it currently that have completed all the challenges. About 55%-60% of the staff are working their way through it. It’s a very slow network to get into the digital era. It’s part of the problem we have right now. As a company, we’re very progressive. We’ve always been developing new things before our competitor. It’s a success to be able to have 35% of the salespeople in our most high-end store using the training app and being trained faster than our competitor can. We’re shortening the lifetime penetration of our product in the mind of the salespeople and in the mind of consumers.

Twenty percent of our dealers are very high end and they are the salespeople that have downloaded the app. They are our most important stores. Having people with the knowledge to properly answer the consumer has put us ahead of our competitor.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

They use a project manager and we do the same in our company. The project managers are constantly in contact with one another either by phone or by Skype. Whenever there’s a problem, they answer very quickly. They’re very professional in the way they do work. I deal mainly with Jean-Michel [LeBeau, Founder] if I have an issue of some sort. When the projects are implemented, they are done through the project managers in each of our companies.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Before I came to this company, I worked my way through many companies in many places. For quite a while, I was a coach for leaders in different businesses. I was doing the strategical alignment in the different companies. Jean-Michel is extremely smart. He’s humble. He listens to the client very well. He’s very creative. He does even more than you ask. He takes you in like your part of his business. He comes up with ideas and technologies that we can even adapt to our bathtubs. He’s incredible as a leader and as a manager for his team. I’ve hardly ever seen someone so smart, but also talented enough to manage his team properly. Whatever they did for us was always right on. 

They are extremely creative and listen very well to the company and the culture involved. One of the problems I met in the past with tech companies is they can be very good technologically, but they don't understand the challenge that we face on the cultural level. Each network has its own culture. You can have a wonderful tool that’s worth absolutely nothing at the end. With Cortex, Jean-Michel has a very strategic mind. He will take a lot of time to understand scaffolding, and not only the technological challenge you face, but the culture of your company and where you come from, in order to understand where you can go with the technologies to court your success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really enjoy working with Cortex and wouldn’t envision going with anyone else. We always want to be the first project that they’ll answer to, but you’re working with real people that have more than one project going on. If you want to have an answer in the next hour, you might have it three hours later. It’s those type of things, but very normal things to expect. They always come back quickly. I have nothing negative to say about Cortex.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of 32Mars, an advertising agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We’ve worked with them on technology development for client projects, including a couple of apps as well as web-based development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our latest project with Cortex is our business website. We’ve previously worked on a large website for one of our clients. Cortex developed a web-based ticketing platform and CMS [content management system] serving clients like Cirque du Soleil, The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team, and large stadiums around the world.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

One of our business partners introduced them to me. I met Jean-Michel Lebeau, the CEO of the company, and we talked business. I appreciated their values and we started working together. Cortex has been professional, and we’ve worked together since that time.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work is between $250,000 and $300,000 CAD per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cortex five years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our business website was launched 4 weeks ago, and has won an Awwwards prize, which was a huge compliment from the industry. Our visitors have been scaling up since the launch. More visitors are coming in organically, and we have a better ranking.

When my team worked with Cortex, it was always on behalf of clients, so I cannot provide actual metrics. I’m quite sure that if there were any problems, my team would have mentioned them.

The ticketing platform sells millions of tickets per day; it’s the second-biggest in the world.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

They keep tight schedules and are professionals. We never had any issues in this sense, which is rare in this area. We’ve been working with a couple of Cortex’ project managers, all of whom were good. The process is collaborative, Agile, simple, and proactive. They’ve often suggested different ways to do things, and always had the right answers to our questions. If they didn’t, they would come back with one in the same business day. The final cost always matched the estimate given to us at the beginning. We mainly work with the Google Docs suite. The collaborative documents make it easy to track bugs and do follow-ups. They also use internal administration apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cortex is always working on research and development—things like VR and 3D web and visioning solutions. They are very good at finding technology solutions, even when working with a small budget, in order to reach the client goal. If the client only has a budget for a portion of the project, Cortex is good at proposing milestones and working in stages. Instead of delivering a website in a year, they will split it into multiple stages over 2 or 3 years, with everything the client wants. The solution is always perfect.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could introduce solutions for small businesses. Cortex is not expensive, but they favor bigger projects, and aren’t capable of working on smaller ones like startup landing pages at a reasonable price. They could improve their business in this way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a copywriter for LG2, an advertising company operating in Quebec, Montreal, and Toronto. I’m based in Quebec.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

I had an idea for a magic trick that used eye-tracking technology to show people a card they picked while watching cards on billboards. We wanted to use the technology at bus stops for the Magic Festival of Quebec City. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I knew of Cortex's capabilities, but this was still a big challenge for them because they’d never used eye-tracking technology before. However, they were happy to take on the challenge when I approached them.

We've also worked with them on applications and other interactive technologies planned for 2017.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

My sister was a graphic designer there, and she informed me that they were familiar with this kind of work. She arranged a meeting for me with Jean-Michel Lebeau [CEO, Cortex], and we talked about the project. We also contacted a number of companies in Montreal since there aren’t many tech groups in Quebec, but none had done something like this before. Cortex was the only company that told us it was possible, and they completed it just fine.

How much have you invested with them?

I’m unsure of the exact cost since I don’t handle financial issues, but we’ve spent under $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2017. This particular project was launched in April or May, and it’s currently online. We have a partnership of some kind, and are also working on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We are about to do some metrics research because we’re entering the solution into a contest.

The display was available for one day, from early morning, until afternoon. We reached a lot of people, but the goal was always to create a case study video to reach more people. The original video allowed us to receive an innovation award in Canada, so it’s definitely made its way through the advertising community.

The Quebec Magic Festival also used it for its widespread promotion. I’m unsure how many people were present, but the video was shown at every magic festival gala. 

We knew the eye-tracking accuracy wouldn’t operate well outside. We had 80% accuracy when we were hoping for 20%, so the results were very good, but not perfect. The ultimate goal was to have a technology that worked every time.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was very rushed. We only had one month to do everything from scratch, including inventing technology that would work inside of bus stops. It was hard to do, but we made it.

Their project management was amazing. We had a lot of questions because we didn’t know anything about the technology, but they still remained flexible and patient. They were comprehensive, and their ability to effectively work with time constraints and a small budget made noticeable differences. 

We visited a couple bus stops to take measurements, so it felt special to them because it was a custom-made project. They were happy to work on it, even though they weren’t making a lot of money.

We felt someone was constantly working for us because they made the project their priority. It was well done, and nothing was rushed or cheaply made. 

I visited their office to check progress, and everyone was always welcoming. They were friendly and open to us visiting them, and setting up meetings were never complicated. Working with them was human and practical because their team was available and also very good at what they do. They are a small company, but they hire the best employees, which is why they collaborate so well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The follow-through, project management, and communication were very nice. They communicated very well, and never questioned us when we needed to change things at the last minute. The team was so proactive that they found solutions to questions we hadn’t even asked yet.

Their team knows their technology and capabilities well. We don’t get involved with technology often, so we needed a partner like Cortex who knew exactly what they were doing.

I recommend everyone work with them. It was our first experience with the company, but since then, we’ve continued to give them projects. We consider them a partner now.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was a perfect project. They did exactly what we asked for, gave their time, and provided many things. We had a small budget and strict time constraints for this project, so many problems could have appeared, but didn’t. It really worked well, so I don’t have anything bad to say about them. We’ve experienced minimal issues with other projects.